Sheriff's Office loses three deputies

Losing deputies is nothing new for Sheriff Jim DeWees. But in the past two weeks, three deputies have left the Carroll County Sheriff's Office with two leaving the profession.

"I've lost some good deputies over the last years," DeWees said.

In 2016, DeWees said he lost about 10 to 12 deputies, which he called "significant" for a department the size of the Sheriff's Office.

Of the three deputies who left in the past two weeks, one left to be a criminal investigator within a Pennsylvania state's attorney's office, one left to work in his father's company and one left for Wyoming, DeWees said.

When a deputy decides to leave the department, DeWees sits down with each of the deputies to talk about the decision to leave. For many it's the salary, DeWees said.

According to recruiting advertisements, salaries for entry level deputy recruit and deputy on probation positions is $40,540. A deputy first class is advertised with a $43,784 salary.

DeWees says the Carroll County commissioners have committed to providing more money to increase the salaries, but it takes time. Some deputies aren't able to wait, and other jurisdictions pay more. DeWees said his department needs to be competitive with salaries, but it isn't quite there.

"It's important that I have a lot of support on this, and I do," he said.

The decision to leave was financially driven for two of the deputies who recently resigned, DeWees said.

But for Pat Buenger, the former deputy who moved to Wyoming, the decision had more to do with the changing landscape of law enforcement.

Buenger and his family had planned to relocate to Wyoming, but their timeline was moved up because he felt the general attitude toward police officers shifting, he said.

Policing comes with its risks, something Buenger said he knew going into the profession. What's changed is the sense that police are being targeted, he said.

He pointed to the Dallas police shootings as an example, as well as the protests against police. While some politicians are supporting law enforcement, others are talking down to them and highlighting police brutality, he said.

"Police just respond to what they are presented with," Buenger said.

The attitude hasn't spread to Carroll, he said, adding that the residents are very supportive. But there's a possibility of it happening in Carroll and the potential of one day not coming home at night. So, with his family, Buenger said he made the decision to leave the profession.

His last day was Jan. 4. He now works in the mortgage business.

While he left the department, Buenger praised DeWees and the department, saying DeWees does his best to provide the deputies with the best equipment and training. The money could be better, he said, but it was not the deciding factor in his decision.